Property Mutation Fees and Timeline in Bangalore (BBMP)

Property Mutation Fees and Timeline in Bangalore (BBMP)

Bangalore doesn’t use the word “mutation” in everyday paperwork — BBMP calls the same process Khata Transfer, and getting the terminology right matters, because it changes which office you approach and which documents you need. On PropResolve, our property transfer team handles Khata Transfer filings across Bangalore every week, and this article reflects what we actually see in those files.

Two Paths After Death: With a Will, or Without One

Before BBMP paperwork enters the picture, one question decides everything else: did the deceased leave a registered will?

If there is a valid will, the named executor administers the estate under the Indian Succession Act, 1925. A significant change took effect with the Repealing and Amending Act, December 2025, which removed Section 213 of the Indian Succession Act. Section 213 previously made probate mandatory before an executor could act on a will within the municipal limits of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. With that section gone, probate is now optional everywhere in India — though a bank or sub-registrar may still ask for it if title is disputed.

If there is no will, the property devolves by intestate succession under the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, Section 8 (for Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs; other communities follow their own personal law or the Indian Succession Act). Section 8 sends the property first to Class I heirs: the widow/widower, sons, daughters, mother, and children of any son or daughter who predeceased the owner. All Class I heirs inherit simultaneously and in equal shares — there is no automatic preference for whoever happens to be managing the property. This is the most common source of disputes at the mutation stage, because BBMP will not transfer khata into one heir’s name alone if other Class I heirs exist and haven’t formally released their share.

What Khata Transfer Actually Does — and Doesn’t Do

Khata Transfer (like mutation everywhere else in India) is a purely administrative update to BBMP’s property tax and revenue records. It records who BBMP bills for property tax and who it recognizes for civic purposes. It does not itself transfer title — legal title passes at the moment of death (intestate) or under the will, not when the khata is updated.

Skipping it anyway is a bad idea: an un-mutated khata means BBMP keeps billing the deceased’s name, banks generally decline home loans against the property, and a buyer’s lawyer will flag it during due diligence.

BBMP’s Khata Transfer follows the same basic structure as mutation nationwide:

1. Application filed through the e-Aasthi portal (bbmpeaasthi.karnataka.gov.in), with supporting documents and Aadhaar e-KYC.
2. Field verification — a BBMP revenue inspector checks the property against records and confirms its current khata classification.
3. Public objection notice, typically 15-30 days, so any other claimant can come forward before the record changes.
4. Mutation/Khata Transfer order issued if no valid objection is raised, updating the record in the applicant’s name.

Outside BBMP limits — rural and semi-urban Karnataka — the equivalent record is the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crops), maintained through the state’s Bhoomi portal. Agricultural land or property outside BBMP jurisdiction is filed through Bhoomi and the local Tahsildar instead of e-Aasthi; the underlying succession law is identical, only the record-keeping system changes.

A-Khata vs. B-Khata: Know Which One You’re Inheriting

This distinction matters more in Bangalore than in almost any other Indian city, and it’s the detail families discover too late — usually when a bank rejects a loan.

Inheriting a B-Khata property does not upgrade it — the heir simply inherits the same restrictions the deceased had. BBMP will still process a Khata Transfer for a B-Khata property (the name on record changes), but the classification only changes through a separate conversion or regularization process.

Documents Required for Khata Transfer After Death

• Original death certificate of the property owner
• Will, or Legal Heir Certificate/Succession Certificate establishing the heirs
• Previous khata certificate and khata extract
• Registered sale deed or original title deed
• Latest property tax paid receipts (no dues pending)
• Encumbrance Certificate
• Indemnity bond / affidavit from the applying heir
• NOC from co-heirs, or a registered Release Deed/Family Settlement Deed, if one heir applies alone
• Applicant’s ID and address proof, plus Aadhaar for e-KYC on e-Aasthi

Fees and Timeline

BBMP’s Khata Transfer fee is commonly cited as roughly 2% of the applicable stamp duty value, subject to a minimum charge (often cited around ₹500-₹1,000, though BBMP revises this periodically). This is separate from stamp duty itself and from any B-to-A conversion charges. Always confirm the current figure on e-Aasthi for your specific property.

Example: How Khata Transfer Plays Out in Practice

Krishnappa Gowda, a resident of Basavanagudi, dies intestate in March 2025, leaving his wife Lakshmi, son Ramesh, and daughter Sowmya — all Class I heirs under Section 8 of the Hindu Succession Act. The family home, a residential site under BBMP jurisdiction, has been on B-Khata since 2007, when an extra floor was built without approval. Here is how the family handled it:

1. Weeks 1-2: The family registers the death and applies to the Tehsildar for a Legal Heir Certificate naming all three heirs.
2. Week 3: The certificate is issued, about 12 days after filing.
3. Week 4: Since only Ramesh wants to keep the property, Lakshmi and Sowmya execute and register a Release Deed transferring their shares to him, paying stamp duty on the release.
4. Week 5: Ramesh applies via e-Aasthi for Khata Transfer, uploading the death certificate, Legal Heir Certificate, Release Deed, previous khata certificate, tax receipts, Encumbrance Certificate, indemnity bond, and ID/Aadhaar e-KYC — paying a Khata Transfer fee of roughly ₹1,200.
5. Weeks 6-7: A BBMP inspector verifies the property and confirms it remains B-Khata due to the unapproved floor.
6. Weeks 7-9: The application sits in the 21-day public objection window; no claimant comes forward since the Release Deed already resolved co-heir shares.
7. Week 10: BBMP issues the Khata Transfer order. The tax record now shows Ramesh’s name — but the property is still B-Khata.
8. From November 2025: Because the property was B-Khata before September 30, 2024, it qualifies for BBMP’s 100-day B-to-A conversion drive. Ramesh applies online, pays the conversion charge, and receives A-Khata status roughly ten weeks later, making the property loan-eligible again.

Total elapsed time from death to a mutated, loan-eligible khata: close to eight months — not because any single step was slow, but because the Legal Heir Certificate, Release Deed, Khata Transfer, and B-to-A conversion all had to happen in sequence. Families who skip the Release Deed, or assume Khata Transfer alone fixes B-Khata status, are the ones who get stuck.

A Time-Limited Opportunity: B-to-A Khata Conversion

BBMP launched a 100-day special drive starting November 1, 2025, allowing online conversion from B-Khata to A-Khata through e-Aasthi, for properties issued B-Khata status before September 30, 2024. If an inherited property meets that cutoff, this window is worth acting on quickly — special drives like this open and close periodically, with no guarantee the same terms return. Outside BBMP limits, where the record is an RTC on the Bhoomi portal, regularization follows a different revenue-department process specific to that jurisdiction.

When Things Go Wrong: Common Complications

Missing or incomplete documents

The most common cause of delay is an incomplete application — a missing Encumbrance Certificate, an expired tax receipt, or a Legal Heir Certificate listing heirs inconsistently with the title deed. BBMP returns rather than partially processes such applications, resetting the clock.

A co-heir objects or won’t cooperate

If a co-heir refuses to sign a Release Deed, or objects during the notice period, BBMP will not mutate the khata in favor of one heir alone. Where heirs can agree, a Release Deed or Family Settlement Deed is the standard route — courts have upheld family settlements as valid and efficient (see Kale v. Deputy Director of Consolidation, 1976 SC). Where a co-heir refuses outright, the remedy is a partition suit under Order XX Rule 18 of the Code of Civil Procedure, asking a civil court to divide the property or declare shares — slower and costlier than a negotiated settlement.

The property is still on B-Khata

As the example above shows, Khata Transfer and B-to-A conversion are separate processes; completing one doesn’t complete the other. If a regularization drive isn’t currently open, the property may have to wait for BBMP’s next standard scheme.

Selling before mutation

Selling an inherited property before mutation is legally possible — no statute makes it a precondition, since title already passed at death. In practice, banks routinely decline to finance a purchase where the seller’s name doesn’t match BBMP’s records, and buyers’ lawyers treat an un-mutated khata as a red flag. Sales generally move faster once the khata is current.

Legal Heir Certificate vs. Succession Certificate vs. Letter of Administration

• Legal Heir Certificate (LHC) — issued by the Tehsildar/SDM. Administrative, fast (10-15 days), generally sufficient for BBMP Khata Transfer.
• Succession Certificate — issued by a civil court under the Indian Succession Act, 1925; required for movable assets like bank accounts and securities when there is no will. Takes 45 days to several months due to mandatory notice. See our Succession Certificate guide.
• Letter of Administration (LoA) — a court order under the Indian Succession Act, 1925, appointing an administrator when there is no executor. Takes months due to mandatory public notice, and is generally needed for movable assets alongside or instead of an LHC. See our Letter of Administration guide.

For a BBMP Khata Transfer specifically, the Legal Heir Certificate is usually what matters — a Succession Certificate or LoA becomes relevant once bank accounts or other movable assets are also part of the estate.

How Bangalore Compares to Other Cities

The underlying succession law — the Hindu Succession Act for intestate cases, the Indian Succession Act for wills — is nationwide. What differs city to city is the municipal mutation authority, portal, fee structure, and quirks like Bangalore’s A-Khata/B-Khata system. Mumbai’s mutation runs through the municipal corporation’s property tax department with its own conventions; see our Mumbai mutation guide. Hyderabad’s runs through GHMC and the Bhu Bharati portal (which replaced Dharani in 2025); see our Hyderabad mutation guide. For the broader decision of whether to sell or transfer within the family first, see our property transfer after death overview. Heirs living abroad face an additional layer of Power of Attorney and repatriation rules — covered in our NRI property inheritance guide.

Khata Transfer Checklist

Get Your Khata Status Sorted

PropResolve’s verified property lawyers check your property’s khata classification first, then file the transfer — or the B-to-A conversion, if eligible — through e-Aasthi. We work in every major city, including our home base of Bangalore, and can coordinate Legal Heir Certificates, Release Deeds, and Succession Certificates alongside the BBMP filing so the estate moves in parallel rather than in sequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you transfer khata after death?

Get the death certificate and a Legal Heir Certificate (or rely on a registered will), gather the previous khata certificate, tax receipts, and Encumbrance Certificate, then file through BBMP’s e-Aasthi portal with Aadhaar e-KYC. If multiple Class I heirs exist, a Release Deed or NOC from the others is needed first. BBMP verifies, posts a 15-30 day objection notice, and issues the mutation order if unopposed.

Is it necessary to transfer property to your name after death?

Title already passes to the heirs at death, so no statute forces immediate mutation. Practically, it matters: an un-mutated khata means BBMP keeps billing the deceased’s name, banks decline home loans against it, and a buyer’s lawyer will flag it during due diligence on any future sale.

How much does BBMP charge for Khata transfer?

Roughly 2% of the applicable stamp duty value, subject to a minimum charge — the exact figure is revised periodically, so confirm it on e-Aasthi for the specific property. This is separate from stamp duty on any Release Deed and from B-to-A conversion charges if regularization is also needed.

What are the steps to transfer property after a person dies in Karnataka?

Establish the heirs (a registered will, or a Legal Heir Certificate under the Hindu Succession Act for intestate cases); resolve co-heir shares with a Release Deed or Family Settlement Deed if needed; gather the title deed, khata documents, and tax receipts; then file for mutation — Khata Transfer via e-Aasthi within BBMP limits, or via Bhoomi and the local Tahsildar for RTC records outside it.

Is there any time limit for property transfer after death in India?

No statute sets a deadline. Delaying it still creates problems — accumulating tax in the deceased’s name, complications if a co-heir later becomes uncooperative or passes away themselves, and difficulty financing a future sale. It’s best handled as soon as the Legal Heir Certificate and other documents are in hand.

How long does khata transfer take?

Once a complete application is filed, BBMP’s Khata Transfer typically takes 15 to 45 days, including the 15-30 day public objection window. Reaching that filing stage can take longer if a Legal Heir Certificate (10-15 days) or Succession Certificate (45 days-several months) is needed first, or co-heirs must sign a Release Deed.

What happens if Khata transfer is not done?

The tax record keeps showing the deceased as owner, creating friction with BBMP over billing. More significantly, banks generally won’t sanction a home loan against a mismatched khata, and a buyer’s lawyer will flag the gap during due diligence, which can stall or reduce the value of a sale.

Can Khata transfer be done online in Bangalore?

Yes — BBMP processes Khata Transfer, including inheritance-based transfers, through the e-Aasthi portal, with Aadhaar e-KYC and digital document upload; applicants can track status online using their EPID. Field verification and the objection notice still follow BBMP’s normal process even though filing is digital.

Related Reading

For the nationwide process, see our overview of property transfer after death. If the estate includes bank accounts or shares alongside the Bangalore property, our Succession Certificate and Letter of Administration guides cover those. Family members abroad should review our NRI property inheritance guide. More articles are on our blog.

Conclusion

In Bangalore, the real question isn’t just how to transfer the khata — it’s whether the property is A-Khata or B-Khata, and whether more than one Class I heir needs to sign off before BBMP will act. Establish the heirs correctly, resolve co-heir shares with a Release Deed if needed, and check the khata classification early, before filing with e-Aasthi.